DENNIS DUNAWAY ON ROTOSOUND AND THE ALICE COOPER BAND

Original Alice Cooper Band bass player Dennis Dunaway gives a great insight into his early influences, forming the Alice Cooper Band and how a chance introduction to Rotosound Swing Bass strings caused the bass parts for legendary track Schools Out to be re-recorded. Dennis has used Rotosound since 1972.
More on Rotosound at www.rotosound.com
More on Dennis at www.dennisdunaw...

[@Hqhq-01]

I can't believe that Dennis didn't get started with music until 17 but he quickly developed into a top notch bassist. Must have had immense natural talent and/or hours of work to get there.

[@rayzerwrecker70]

The Billion dollar babies snake skin couch did not escape my attention as a devote fan and lover of all your music ,Dennis! Thanks and i need the B.C c.d. now. That one got passed my radar till now. God bless you ,brother.

[@STRATCAT101]

Dennis Dunaway is the greatest bass player ever.I saw the original band on all their tours in Toronto the L.I.T.D. tour to the Muscle of love tour.I would always be watching Dennis and thought he was so cool.He sounded just as good live as he did in the studio.Iwish they would have stayed togeather longer than they did. Alice Cooper was never the same without the original band.

[@VonHoganSchmidt]

That original band was TREMENDOUS. Always loved the way Dunaway played..

[@fabienlamour3644]

Dennis was the the main element of the originality of the band. The album School's out was his signature. Bravo.

[@markhorton1718]

I fell right in love with the original ACG the day I heard the Killer Record. You Drive Me Nervous was all it took. I was 13 years old. Then I got the Schools Out record and Blue Turk blew me away. As a matter of fact, I listened to the album just yesterday. I'm 57 now and have been a hard core fan since those teen years.

[@onusgumboot5565]

I heard "Caught in a dream" from the first album, "love it to death" on FM radio. Progressive radio they called it back then. This was before Eighteen became a hit. The DJ obviously hated it. He said "I'll never play that again". I loved it. I was a fan all through the original group albums. Not so much Alice alone.

[@markhorton1718]

@@onusgumboot5565 The first album was actually Pretties For You and the second album was called Easy Action. LITD was the 3rd record. The first 2 albums got no airplay at all, but I really like them. Check them out, I'm sure you will like them too.

[@onusgumboot5565]

@@markhorton1718 I forgot about those ones. I actually have them on CD. So I never play them. Not because I don't like them but I don't listen to CDs. If I don't have it on vinyl, I don't have it.

[@markhorton1718]

@@onusgumboot5565 makes good sense to me, buddy!! I love that vinyl sound too but have no turntable anymore, I'm sorry to say

[@rodneystanger1651]

@@markhorton1718 Never cared for those first two. Seems like a lot of Zappa influence. LITD was when they really found themselves, imo anyway.

[@morganfisherart]

I just ordered Dennis' book on Amazon. After seeing this video I am looking forward to it even more. What a great guy!

[@Taffy84]

The bass line to Dead Babies is one of the best ever, IMO.

[@joedecker3900]

He’s got plenty of them

[@OPTIMISPOOH]

Thank you Dennis! You are truly the most criminally underrated bassist, and best kept secret in rock. Glad you are FINALLY getting the notoriety you deserve!

[@rodneystanger1651]

Always loved his playing, but on a DD kick right now, and watching his interviews, etc, his qualities as a genuine person impress me every bit as much as his playing. We needed, and still need, more like DD in this world. Alice was always a very nice guy as well.

[@pervysagechuck2771]

One of my favorite bass lines by Mr. Dunaway was in the song, Blue Turk, on the School's Out album.

[@eardrumbuzzer6477]

Nice guy. Great bass player. Alice's band, during their heyday in the 1970's were excellent! Dunaway and Michael Bruce kicked ass and they wrote outstanding songs!

[@dimitriskiortsis677]

I love this guy

[@trblemkr1d106]

Billion Dollar Babies and Yes Fragile were the first two albums I ever bought . I saw Alice in 75' for the first time . Great days !

[@shirtshine73blitz]

Dennis is so great on the Bass. And his Compositions are fantastic!

[@djharp51]

How cool that he adds "have fun" into his advice to younger players!

[@fsmitka]

I saw Alice Cooper in 1972 in Detroit at Cobo Hall. Dennis Dunaway was the musical heart of the AC band, I can see from the video he is still a nice down to earth guy. Glad to see he is still performing.......Detroit loves ya Dennis!!! come down and do a show with your new group.

[@richardtaylor8189]

I used to love it that in the "old days", the names of all my favorite bass players were on the package of Rotosound Swing Bass strings, including DENNIS DUNAWAY!

[@gvp999999]

It used to drive me nuts trying to learn Dennis' bass lines!! I still love listening to the AC band. One of the few groups that you'd play again and again to listen to each instrument.

[@rodneystanger1651]

I hear you. Always a major achievement figuring out a DD line, huh?

[@lisamacdougall8977]

dennis a true legend with the darkest most beautiful playing

[@GaryGrzybek]

Always admired your playing as a kid.

[@Explorer766]

Dennis is a real bass player. His lines are integral to the classic songs much the way McCartneys are to the Beatles. Underappreciated until you focus on what the bass is doing. hen it's like....wow.

[@TheNightmare75II]

Totally agreed.

[@elvissorna8861]

Oh man, this guy needs no introduction. One of the most innovative bass players for sure, all the early Alice Cooper stuff is pure genius. That octave thing he does on Dead Babies....nuff said.

[@jamesfriend481]

Gutter Cats VS the Jets, still a treat after 50 years or so. The original band, highly underrated, there was nothing like them before.

[@rodneystanger1651]

Nothing like them after, either.

[@papa_gummybear]

He's a hero. Cool that he's still rockin the same bass

[@wild4queen]

He’s the best.

[@TokyoHillbilly1]

Dennis, you are the best!

[@RandyFricke]

One of the best right here kids. Legend.

[@beatlehmann3424]

Great Storys ! Rock on Dennis...…..!!!

[@kissnbearsd]

The best bassist of all time.Love you Dennis.

[@farleyboy6445]

Dennis, I have been a fan of the Alice Cooper group since I discovered Killer when I was around 12 years old in 74'. I always dreamed of meeting the band but never got to. I am 50 now and am still a die hard fan. To see that you are still putting out excellent rock and roll is great. I still have all the albums I bought when I was a kid, I don't play them because I want to preserve them, but I have them all on cd. It's great to see you on KZbin. Thanks for the sound track of my life.

[@cycologist7069]

What a cool f*****g guy. I love listening to him.

[@Merriec021]

I LOVE you Dennis!!!! Rock on

[@patrickdehertogh2080]

My fathers disgust at seeing the Terry cloth panties on the schools out album cemented my love for shock rock. And the Alice Cooper band.

[@cycologist7069]

Nice guy. I like him.

[@glenaliano6790]

Dennis is the man!!!!

[@torontotonto33]

I always loved you guys in the original band. I love your playing on School's Out, especially Gutter Cats vs the Jets and that really cool intro you play on bass. I'd really love to see you demonstrate how to play that intro. Love Rotosound strings too! I just wish I could afford them, right now I'm using the same set of roundwounds over and over by boiling them! Good to see you're still rocking after all these years. Take care Dennis.

[@rodneystanger1651]

Did that for years as a kid, but then discovered just taking them off for a while brought them back too.

[@Juniorhooker]

DENNIS HOWS IT GOING, I REMMEBER TRYING TO LEARN YOUR BASS LINES ON GUITAR ,WHEN I WAS YOUNG ,I USE TO LOVE THE BASS PLAYING ON THE SCHOOLS OUT RECORD WHEN I WAS FIVE .YOUR A GREAT BASS PLAYER

[@joaocarlos2352]

This is a really bassist. He plays great and some guys like Flea learned a lot with DD. I don´t know if Bass Player magazine understand thebig importance of the lessons that DD put on the AC albums.

[@Taffy84]

+João Carlos Povoas I'm currently using Flea Signature Bass Boomers on my bass guitar, they are round wound.

[@slimedog]

Dennis is so great- his book is wonderful. I tell young people, "My only advise is listen to people with experience but listen to yourself- my only advice is don't take advice.

[@rodneystanger1651]

I don't read "rock star" books, but may make an exception in DD's case.

[@aquabot]

2:12 that's what was so great with the early Cooper records,it's that you all did something new and different.

[@JoannCarolus]

"We threw chickens at the crowd. You're gonna have to find your own Thing."

[@jasperjenkins7729]

A "Killer" Bass player. Pun intended. But DD is 100% BADASS

[@ryandeanlindgren9054]

nice!

[@double0nine73]

I wonder what strings he used before he used Rotosound?

[@CoCotheTurtle]

Too bad he wasn't a fan of John Entwhistle. He could have known about Rotosound strings at least a decade earlier.

[@larsdahl6594]

Sounds like DD still has some R&R left in him, despite his age. As opposed to AC who at this point is a total sellout.

[@greenhornet6270]

De-Knees Dun-U-Transgender Way